Nearly 100 Writers to Sell Books and More During the Birmingham Public Library’s Authors Expo, February 7

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA ­– (Jan. 27, 2015) – Discover a new writer or learn what it takes to write a good book at the the Authors Expo and Book Fair, Saturday, Feb. 7, from 9 a.m.to 3 p.m., at the Birmingham Public Library, 2100 Park Place. The event is free.

More than 100 authors will be selling books on everything from mystery, romance and history to food, children's stories and biographies. The expo, which will feature experienced writers, new authors and the See Jane Write blogging group, will even have one person selling a 2015 calendar that highlights notable Birmingham residents. Books-A-Million and other publishers will be on hand to discuss their publishing process.

There will also be two workshops on how to write books and get them published.

At 10 a.m., Birmingham attorney, author and blogger Keith Lee of the Hamer Law Group will discuss everything from copyright and trademark to what pitfalls to avoid in publishing or self-publishing a book. He has written one book about transitioning from law school to practicing law. His second book, due this fall, will be about business and law. He writes a weekly column for “Above the Law,” the most popular legal blog in America.

At 1 p.m., Marie A. Sutton will discuss what it takes to write about history and how to make it interesting. Sutton recently wrote “The A.G. Gaston Motel in Birmingham: A Civil Rights Landmark,’’ a motel that opened in the 1950s and was frequented by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and other supporters of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. The motel closed in the 1980s and is now being considered for redevelopment. She wrote her book, published by The History Press, in seven months.

There will be something for the kids, too. At 11:30 a.m., Alabama's No. 1 magical mad scientist, Doctor Osborn, will present "Reading Is Magic!" in the Youth Department's Story Castle. During Doctor Osborn’s 2015 "Unlock the Madness Tour," children will learn the value of books and the library through his unique brand of magic, comedy and balloon creations.